Sublimation Though Subcultures: How To Escape Into An Aesthetic

b8fcaed76578de638fdc7dc7afd294e2.jpg

Dictionary.com describes sublimation as “the diversion of the energy of a sexual or other biological impulse from its immediate goal to one of a more acceptable social, moral or aesthetic nature or use.” Seeking escapism has always been a customary experience amongst the LGBTQ+ community. Whether through fictional worlds, where fantasy is more suitable than reality, or through popularized aesthetics adopted into everyday life.

Sigmund Freud was one of the first to perpetuate the notion of ego defenses. His daughter, Anna Freud, developed and added onto his ideas. Sublimation is categorized as a defense mechanism and is used to manipulate or distort reality in order to maintain one’s self-schema. In the media, lesbians and queer people have continuously endured oversexualization. The concept of a ‘cottagecore lesbian’ is meant to take away from this erotic narrative, and to instead feed into the “two souls intertwined in a scenic, floral field” ideology perpetuated through songs such as Mitsky’s “Strawberry Blonde” or Phoebe Bridger’s “Garden Song”.

Katherine Gillespie, a writer for Paper Magazine, brought up that “the politics of cottagecore are thoughtfully prelapsarian: what if we could go back to a time before the planet was ravaged by industry, except with added protections for marginalized queer communities? What if we all lived like tradwives, minus the husbands?” Although most people subscribing to the cottagecore aesthetic aren’t actually making plans to escape into Western farm life, incorporating parts of the aesthetic into various areas of our lives is an ideal way of feeling more connected to the idea. 

In an article published by The New York Times entitled “Escape Into Cottagecore, Calming Ethos for Our Febrile Moment,” 18 year-old Emily Kellum, while being interviewed about cottagecore, explained that “it’s like ‘Animal Crossing’ but in real life.” According to Aristotle, imagination is what sets apart the humans from the animals. Cottagecore isn’t the first appeasing ethos to have grasped the attention of copious amounts of internet users. Even though, thanks to TikTok, it is the first to have reached this extent of fame. In fact, some form of cottagecore, alongside its more mysterious twin “dark academia,” has actually existed since 2010. On Tumblr, these were merely the inspirations behind various photoshoots, lookbooks or poems posted onto the website. 

“Oh to be a woman in a blood covered nightgown made of white linen which caresses her skin violently as she runs through the forest at ungodly yet holy hours,” wrote Tumblr user “beautiful-infinite-hope”, undoubtedly fantasizing about a mystery-filled life, studying the classics and witnessing Robin Williams stood on a table, lecturing his entire class on literature. 

There are four stages to escapism. The first is healthy enjoyment. The second, avoidance. These are classified as the positive stages. These are the very reasons why many proponents of the lifestyle are inclined to describe it as a form of self-care. In reference to the aesthetics, these stages come in the form of submitting to the subcultures in simple ways such as in style or in environment. The last two, neglect and obsession, are the negative stages. These occur once the anxieties and stressors of life become too all-encompassing, causing the defense mechanisms in use to take over and to bleed into boundless sections of everyday life. 

There are many ways to relish in the charm of cottagecore and of dark academia without crossing into the more toxic areas of escapism. A playlist by Spotify user “elsie” entitled “cottagecore lesbians” is 4 hours and 53 minutes of pure, flower-picking, tea-sipping, poetry-writing, musical bliss. From a couple of songs by Bon Iver, to almost half of Hozier’s entire discography, this is the perfect soundtrack for making flower crowns or baking apple pies.

Fig 1. From the show Anne With An E, 2017.

Fig 1. From the show Anne With An E, 2017.

 

Another by Spotify user “liennee” is almost the exact opposite of the last; yet it practically does the same trick. The playlist is entitled “dark academia but it slaps”, and its description reads “no brooding allowed, we get investigated for murder to funky tunes like men.” Dark academia is about the beauty of literature and history. It centers around the romanticization of academic life and intellectual discussions. The elegance of longing, suffering and art are perfectly captured in this flawless collection of songs by The Clash, Arctic Monkeys and Lorde. 

Fig 1. From the movie Kill Your Darlings, 2013.

Fig 1. From the movie Kill Your Darlings, 2013.

Music isn’t the only form of entertainment or of art that can incorporate the enchantment of these beautiful, blossoming subcultures. In fact, there are plenty of books, movies and TV shows that don’t even have to try to fit into these aesthetics—they simply do so naturally.  My personal favourites to turn to whilst basking in the enticement of dark academia, are the books “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt and “If We Were Villains” by M.L. Rio. In the case of movies, there are no better representations of the strange and the mystifying than “Dead Poets Society” (1989) and “Kill Your Darlings” (2013).

When it comes to cottagecore, some would say that this is where it gets a little more complicated. How is someone supposed to discover cottagecore through media and entertainment, when the very concept of cottagecore surrounds ditching modern technology? This, however, is not necessarily the case. Cottagecore has undoubtedly attracted a large number of marginalized groups of people. And although, on the surface, it seems to be all about individualism it is actually about a community of people connecting through a common, fantastical dream. This same spirit can be found in the show “Anne With An E”, which also happens to feature an especially cottagecore vibe. The immaculate scenery of the Canadian Maritimes is truly like no other rural-inspired fantasy. “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott and “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett are also excellent examples of books, as well as movies, that capture the authentic cottagecore experience. 

More than anything else, “cottagecore” and “dark academia” are about finding comfort and community in small, unexpected corners of the internet. In theory, cottagecore is the ideal picture of a life free from any kind of discrimination, whilst dark academia is the thought of a life spent fighting the patriarchy. In reality, for most people, they’re something to daydream about, and a new way to decorate their room. There is nothing inherently wrong with using ego defenses to cope; it’s about the extent to which we take these. With this said, there is no question that a few houseplants and some 18th century British literature are completely harmless and could actually be incredibly beneficial to those whose interest is peeked at the thought of a life living in a miniscule cottage, picking strawberries and raising goats. 

Nina Zajacbatch 2